Who's running Haiti? No one, say the people

[Xenotime]

Source: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14205092.htm

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Desperate Haitians turned rubble-strewn streets and parks into makeshift hospitals and refugee camps on Thursday in the absence of any noticeable response from authorities in Haiti after Tuesday's earthquake.

"Look at us. Who is helping us? Right now, nobody," said Jean Malesta, a 19-year-old student who was the only survivor when her apartment building collapsed from the powerful quake that has killed thousands, possibly tens of thousands.

"So far, they have brought us nothing. We need water, food, shelter, everything, but we are on our own," Malesta added, to cries of agreement from women sitting and lying around her.

"The sad truth is that no one is in charge of Haiti today. This vacuum, coupled with the robust response from the Obama administration, has inevitably created a situation where the U.S. will be the de facto decision-maker in Haiti."

Around the city, many Haitians put rags and masks over their faces as the stench from rotting bodies began to rise.

Read more: Alert Net

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This is so sad...

[OI812]

1. Not to worry, Dubya, whose administration supported the coup against Aristide

will be on the scene very soon. Well, soon. Or sometime.

[mascarax]

3. Is Brownie going w/Dubya?

Seems logical. I mean, who better?

[OI812]

4. Yeah, him or Skeletor...

:eyes:

[mascarax]

19. Ha! I'm sure they would both go...

for exorbitant consulting fees, of course.

[wordpix]

32. and they deserve those fees, with all their "experience" in leadership

:sarcasm:

[Walk away]

2. When you listen to Clinton or Obama speak they sort of avoid saying.

I heard Bill Clinton say that the government isn't functioning because the government buildings are all gone and many officials are missing or dead. I am guessing that as soon as the money starts showing up, the police and Haiti's leaders will show up to make sure they skim off as much as they can get their hands on.

The Red Cross consistently names the Haitian government as one of the most corrupt in the world. Maybe it's better that they stay out of the way while the rest of the world saves the country.

[Cal Carpenter]

16. It may be beneficial

to read up on how Haiti's government became so corrupt and what 'the rest of the world' (eg France, the US, The IMF and World Bank, etc) have done to get Haiti to where it is now...If I were Haitian I'd be hard-pressed to count on the world to 'save the country' given it's history.

I don't mean to belittle the true humanitarian efforts going on right now, btw. Just commenting on your last sentence.

[EFerrari]

24. Yep. Haiti has exactly the government that we want them to have. n/t

[barb162]

28. Yes, everything I have read is that the government is corrupt

and skims everything.

[Robbien]

5. The only mention of Rene Preval in today's news

is that one article mentioned: "Since the earthquake, President Rene Preval has maintained his typical low profile, granting only a couple of media interviews and making few public appearances."


I can understand his keeping out of the spotlight. He seemed so confused and so very under qualified when talking to CNN about not having a bed to sleep in the first night. Hard to believe that befuddled man is a leader.

[elleng]

6. It certainly would feel like that to the people.

Bill Clinton said on Newshour they are in better shape than for LONG time, as govt. and commerce have improved. BC has a handle on things.

[ShockediSay]

7. Made my modest contribution thru Salvation Army rather than Red Cross

Always more trusted in my book.

[WriteDown]

12. SA is my charity of choice. nt

[Divine Discontent]

21. In case you don't know about them.

Americablog's details of Salvation Army's rabidly anti-Gay using of their monies to actively challenge Gay rights legislation
http://www.americablog.com/2004/11/details-of-salvation...

[barb162]

27. But if they provide real help to the Haitians as they have been doing

for years...I'd give to them.

Edit, If I'm starving, I'll take food without asking about political leanings.

[NeoConsSuck]

35. Doctors Without Borders

my favorite charity. And BTW, they were there *before* the earthquake hit and took causalties themselves.

Great organization!

[Divine Discontent]

20. I prefer doctors without borders or habitat for humanity, or one of the many others that are highly

regarded. I quit giving to the SA a decade ago when I found out they were very anti-Gay, which is disgusting for a group literally called 'Salvation'.


Americablog's details of Salvation Army's rabidly anti-Gay using of money to actively challenge Gay rights legislation
http://www.americablog.com/2004/11/details-of-salvation-armys-rabidly.html

[wordpix]

33. I gave to Oxfam

[Tx4obama]

8. Palin should fly down there so she can see REALITY, when there's no gov. involvement n/t

[ShockediSay]

30. How long was it b4 gov't got involved in Katrina? nt

[wordpix]

34. let DrugRush go, too---he needs a little "no government" dose of reality, too

[unabelladonna]

9. unfortunately, haiti didn't have a castro

to govern an ungovernable country. yeah, yeah i know he's a communist but at least he would have educated and housed the people. i've often wondered why haiti? the dominican republic has a long unfortunate history and its' share of dictataors but seems so much more stable. what the hell went wrong?

[XemaSab]

11. It's a depressing reality

but sometimes a dictator is better than no leader at all. :(

[Mika]

23. Cuba had a revolution to throw the US corporate rapists out!

Haitians are suffering from, among other things, is the complete loss of national sovereignty. This national sovereignty is what Cubans regained when they kicked the US backed, blood soaked Batista regime out. They've had more than their fair share of hardships of wide array, but ....
It is not Castro that makes Cuba's high level universal health care function at world class levels.
It is not Castro that makes Cuba's high level universal education system function at world class levels.
It is not Castro that made Cuba one of the leading sustainability national models (according to the WWF).
It is the Cuban people who do this, because it is what they want - and they work damned hard to make it happen.
Add to their amazing accomplishments in domestic social endeavors - Cuba's generosity to other nations around the globe - training doctors and educators in award winning programs, Haiti included, aiding many nations in national "natural" disasters, and aiding in education projects around the world, building schools. I'm not saying that Cuba is any "workers paradise" as the RW rebuttal goes, but Cubans have made vital things happen in their country, despite their poverty, that many poor Americans would give their left one to have here. And, because of their deeds and spirit, Cuba has the respect of most of the world (except Americans).

---

[unabelladonna]

25. i didn't mean to romanticize castro

but cuba is an example of a country that inspite of its' poverty has such a vital people. i guess it's dignity.

[Barbara2423]

10. I was watching the new reports and wondered the same thing.

This is very strange. Usually leaders will come out and say something but there is a silence. All the leaders of Haiti can't be dead.

[jwirr]

13. It would seem that way but on the other hand what are they going to

say? "Hey, buck up, it's all going to be fine in the morning." I don't think they have answers. And since their own president is homeless they probably are also.

[wordpix]

36. I saw an interview with the Haitian ambassador to the US---there are no communications stations

operating in Port-au-Prince now. There's only short wave radio.

[kestrel91316]

14. Half the government is probably dead, and the other half has no way to communicate or move around,

would be my guess. Most the government buildings collapsed.

[M155Y_A1CH]

15. Wow,no wonder...

they had an earthquake.
:sarcasm:

Really though, this takes one back to the time when we didn't have
anyone in charge to manage relief after a hurricane. :notsarcasm:

[TrogL]

17. The UN should be in charge - theyr'e already onsite

[Dappleganger]

22. The UN were victims as well.

They're still pulling their people out of the rubble.

[TrogL]

18. The UN should be in charge - theyr'e already onsite

[barb162]

29. How many UN troops are dead or injured?

Their headquarters are destroyed, etc

[wordpix]

37. i think it was 50 ---and their warehouse was destroyed, as were roads, etc

[barb162]

26. It's not at all unexpected for such a short period of time. n/t

[treestar]

31. That's understandable

is this more complaining? Maybe we can just quit sending aid since no one seems to be happy and it's a foreign country for which we are not responsible?